The present invention relates to a thermal imprint recording apparatus, and particularly relates to a thermal imprint recording apparatus for recording information by pressing a thermal head on a recording paper via an ink film.
Recently, thermal imprint type recording apparatus (printer) have been widely used for printing an image of computer graphics and the like because of simplicity of the mechanism, high recording speed, and ease of handling.
A typical thermal imprint recording apparatus records predetermined information or a predetermined image on the recording paper by pressing a thermal head assembly on the recording paper via an ink tape or film carrying ink thereon, with the recording paper being placed on a platen roller which is rotated by a DC motor, pulse motor and the like. The thermal head assembly is constructed by a group of thermal elements arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the platen roller as well as in the lateral direction of the recording paper. Such a linearly configured thermal head system appropriately controls current supplied to each of the thermal elements and prints a single line portion of the information at a time. Thereafter, the platen roller is rotated and the recording of the subsequent line is performed. By repeating this sequence, colour image information such as a predetermined script or picture is recorded in a sequence of lines on the recording paper. The ink film may be constructed such that coloured ink of three primary colours, yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) are deposited with a predetermined form on a base film. According to the needs, a fourth colour of black (a) may be included. When using such an ink film for the imprint recording, the imprint recording is performed by mechanically setting a predetermined positional relationship between a first colour ink part on the ink film and the recording paper, and then bringing the two into contact with one another and performing the imprint recording. After the first colour of the ink has been printed, the ink film is fed so as to set a predetermined positional relationship between a second colour ink part on the ink film and the recording paper which is maintained stand still, and then bringing the two into contact with one another and performing the imprint recording. Thereafter, by repeating the operation as described above for the remaining colours of the ink on the ink film, the desired colour printing is completed.
Each time the thermal imprint recording apparatus performs the imprint recording, the ink of the ink film is consumed. For the consumption of the ink film and the recording paper, a roll of or stack of such consuming materials is prepared as a first supply, but these still needs a replacement of the supply after a consumption thereof.
In order to smoothly perform the replacement of the supply, cartridges such as a ink film cartridge accommodating the ink film, and a recording paper cartridge accommodating the recording paper are widely used at present. However, the operation of the apparatus which uses these cartridges is cumbersome because it is necessary to load two different cartridges into separate locations on the apparatus, thus taking up considerable space.
Accordingly, a unitary type cartridge has been proposed in which an ink film housing and a recording paper housing are unitarily constructed. That is, the unitary type cartridge is made so as to allow simultaneous checking of the consumption of the recording paper and the ink film at the time the ink film is replaced or the recording paper is supplied. Thus, one can avoid an inconvenience such that the recording paper or the ink film is not available at hand, by previously providing these materials whenever it becomes clear that one or both of these materials are short in the cartridge. As a result, one can supply the recording paper or change the ink film beforehand.
However, such a unitary type cartridge has problems as will be described hereinafter. Generally, when loading the cartridge having such a unitary construction of an ink film housing part and a paper housing part on the thermal imprint recording apparatus, the ink film has to be drawn out from the cartridge so as to pass over the platen roller. This operation has to be done by the thermal imprint recording apparatus and the loading operation of the apparatus becomes complex. As a result, there is a tendency that the loading operation of the ink film becomes unreliable and the reliability of the thermal imprint recording apparatus is decreased. Further, in such a case that the cartridge is loaded into the apparatus at an incorrect angle of loading with respect to the apparatus, damage such as creasing may occur on the ink film when the apparatus attempts to draw out the ink film and thus problems such as the inability to perform a satisfactory imprint recording due to non-uniform loading of the ink film occur.
Further, there is another conventional thermal imprint recording apparatus as proposed for example in a Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Application No. 977653/1987. In this apparatus, the ink film is drawn out in an upward direction from the cartridge and is passed over an upper surface of the platen roller while the recording paper is supplied also from an upper surface of the cartridge and is transported along a path extending above the platen roller. In this apparatus, however, it is necessary that the recording paper is supplied in between the platen roller and the ink film. As the ink film is passed over the platen roller as already described, the recording paper has to be supplied through a circuitous path extending from the upper surface of the cartridge, passing above the ink film, going around a ink film draw-out means, and reaching a position between the ink film and the platen roller. In this manner, the path traced by the supply of the recording paper forms a large loop, and on account of this, there is a problem that the conventional thermal imprint recording apparatus inevitably becomes large in order to accommodate the supply path of the recording paper.